Page 50 of Blue-Eyed Jacks
“John dropped Kate off at the ice cream place, you know, the one at the bridge?”
I knew the place.Hard to believe it was still going strong after twenty-some years, but that wasn’t the point.“Why there?”
“Zoe just got a job there.You know about her, don’t you?”
“I do.”
“Good, I don’t need to tell you how well that all went down, then.Kate had bags packed, grabbed Zoe, and took off.But someone must have seen her get out of John’s car.They followed him around, harassing him and being a menace for a bit.But mostly held off because he called in reinforcements from the mainland.We thought it had blown over, but last night, they broke into his place and shot him.Luckily, he had his shotgun and service revolver.”
“Any of the assailants die?”
“Two.”
I needed that info.Nonno needed that info.“Have they been identified?”
“One of ‘em.He was from a local club.The other one isn’t in the system, so it’s taking longer.”
“Tats?”I asked, knowing it was a long shot that Crystal would have that information.
“I don’t know.I’ll ask.”
If there was a plant locally, she shouldn’t.“Don’t.I don’t want them targeting you, too.”
“Where would she go?I was hoping she went to you, but if she didn’t…”
“She’ll be fine,” I lied.Running scared and for over a month straight with a teenager, no matter how much Zoe might know or not know, had to be rough, but without family or friends—hell.My mind flashed back to a glimpse of the driver and the tattoos that I’d logged to memory.I knew where she was.And if I did, so did Shock for obvious reasons.I hoped Kate was smarter than to go back to New Jersey.
“Jimmy,” Crystal started.
“Stop, you know better than to call me that.It’s Jackson.”
She cut me off.“Ineedyou to find her.She’s a good woman, and Zoe?She’s like a daughter to me.You’d be proud of her.”
“Crystal Ann, I told Kate to leave me out of this.I can’t.”
“Can’t orwon’t?”Her voice was hard.
“Can’t.”Even saying it, I knew what my next step was.After making a few calls and raising some stink, or maybe even pulling in people who would have my back on this.Of which, there were very few.I’d lied so long and well, it was a crap shoot if anyone would listen, let alone not take offense for being misled by a brother.But saying the word “can’t” made my hackles rise.There was no can’t.It was only a challenge I hadn’t conquered… yet.
“Anything I can do to help?”she asked.
“Stay safe and stay out of it.Lay low.That’s all.”
The line went dead.Crystal knew she wouldn’t get more out of me than what she already had.But she’d managed to twist me around her finger almost as well as Mom did with my father.Funny how well both of them knew how to do that shit.
I stared at the paneling of my office and wondered which string would be the thread that unraveled everything.Pull too hard, and my life was over.Not just here, but permanently over.I dug a folder out of my desk.One I’d sealed and hidden under a fake bottom in the lowest drawer.Some time ago, I had a club member with government connections.He helped me create a fake identity for myself and two women.I stared at the envelope, still sealed, and never even looked at.I shoved it back under the veneer plate and fixed that in place.I wasn’t the kind of man to run.Moreover, I couldn’t trust the information wasn’t already compromised.
Which meant I needed to face this head-on.
“Sprout!”I yelled.There was always someone outside at my beck and call.In under a minute, the door of my office opened, and Skinner popped his head in.
“Hickey’s tracking him down.”
I motioned for him to come in.“Call Wolf in.”I made the hand gesture to indicate Hickey’s phone.My VP needed to be the first to know.Maybe his wife would have ideas on how to hide Kate better.She rode with a bunch ofbitches who made it their life’s work to mess with assholes like Shock.“Tell him that Tits needs to come with him.”
Skinner’s eyes went wide.Me asking for Tits was a minefield, and everyone knew it.She wasn’t sane by a long shot, and getting her involved in Destroyers’ business was one of those unavoidable but forbidden actions we all tiptoed around as much as possible.
But she owed me a favor, and this time, I bet she wouldn’t hold that over my head.If I handled it right.“I need you to track down street gangs in Trenton.Black clubs established for at least sixteen years.”
